


It'll Pass

by imademilkbread



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, Time Skips, i just wanted to gift my friend some pain nbd, three people were bullied in the making of this fic: iwaoi and ari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26594896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imademilkbread/pseuds/imademilkbread
Summary: Will this ball be passed between us forever?
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Iwaizumi

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tokuryoga](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokuryoga/gifts).



> Thank you for picking up my little story! PLEASE BE KIND! I wrote this in a very short time period and this is the first time I've written something in years. I just wanted to write this for my friend's birthday! I hope you enjoy it!

A cold March breeze past Iwaizumi, lost in thought, as he found himself at the doors of the gym where his team relentlessly practiced volleyball all of high school. Today was the third-year’s final day at Aoba Johsai. Never again would they walk through the halls where they spent their youth. Never again will they step on the court with hearts set for nationals. Never again will these days with Oikawa—

“Iwaaaaa~chaaaaan~!!!”

Right on cue. Iwaizumi snaps out of his reverie to find Oikawa waving running over to him with his dumb, shitty face formed into a stupid smile like he always does. But regardless, Iwaizumi’s heart pounds at the sight, wishing he could etch another moment with Oikawa in his mind forever. “What is it Shittykawa?,” Iwaizumi says once Oikawa finally reaches him. 

“Iwa-Chan! It’s our graduation day and you went and left me all alone! How could you be so mean to me!?,” Oikawa pouts while dramatically clutching his chest as if his heart was going to pop out. 

Iwaizumi, remembering why he had wandered off to the gym alone in the first place, felt a slight tug in his own heartstrings. “Your fan club was surrounding you and crying their goodbyes. I couldn’t disturb their last day with you now could I?,” Iwaizumi retorts with slightly more annoyance than he meant to. 

“Awwww Iwa-chan, were you jealous?,” Oikawa says mischievously. Whether he meant to or not, the words were like daggers pointed straight at Iwaizumi. The temperature in Iwaizumi’s face rises, but before he could seriously answer, Oikawa continues, “Don’t worry Iwa-chan, I’m sure you’ll find lots of girls who will flock to you when you go to America. Especially since there won’t be an Oikawa there for them to compare you to!” He winks and poses matter-of-factly. 

As the words fell from Oikawa’s mouth, Iwaizumi’s heartstrings tugged a little bit more. He didn’t want a bunch of random girls who didn’t truly know him. There was only one person that he wanted, a person who he won’t get to see every day anymore. Iwaizumi stands there speechless until a cold wind brushes past the two of them and snaps him out of it. He will not let his heart burst now. Trying to regain his composure, Iwaizumi responds, “Yeah well, I have no clue what you are going to do without me there with you when you go to Argentina.” This was the first thing he could say, but deep down Iwaizumi knew that this was a lie. Oikawa would be fine, even without him there. 

Oikawa slings his arm around Iwaizumi’s shoulders, cheerfully exclaiming, “You really are like my mom when you worry about me, Iwa~Chan~!” 

Iwaizumi is ready to deck Oikawa in the face. But before Iwaizumi actually gets to land a punch, Oikawa dashes to the gym’s doors. Swiftly opening the doors and changing the subject, Oikawa says, “It’s way too cold out here! How about we play some volleyball one last time before we go our separate ways.” Marching at the beat of his own drum, Oikawa runs inside to start getting the equipment ready before Iwaizumi has time to respond. It’s not as if Iwaizumi would have actually rejected that proposal though. With a slight smile, Iwaizumi follows Oikawa inside the gym, putting aside all the cold thoughts outside. 

“Since it’s just the two of us, how about I set the ball for your spikes?,” Oikawa asks as the two of them finish setting up the volleyball net. 

“You better not go easy on me,” Iwaizumi says, already pumped up. 

“Oh, I would never,” Oikawa coolly responds, focus already settled in. 

_Toss_

Iwaizumi tosses the ball for Oikawa. As the ball is in the air, one of the very first memories Iwaizumi has of Oikawa pops into his head. They’ve known each other since they were born so they probably have lots of stories neither can remember. 

_Set_

Oikawa’s fingers gracefully set in Iwaizumi’s direction. Instead of the ball, Iwaizumi’s eyes linger towards Oikawa’s hands. He remembers a pure and smiling Oikawa is holding onto Iwaizumi’s small hand yelling, “IWA-CHAN!” At that time, Iwaizumi held Oikawa’s hand as if he was the most precious treasure in the world that only he could protect. 

_Spike_

Iwaizumi is distracted a second too long, but as Seijoh’s ace, his hand is still able to land a spike. The same hand he once used as a child to wipe away the tears from Oikawa’s eyes. 

“Iwa-Chan are you okay? Do I need to go easy on you after all? I understand it’s going to be hard not seeing my beautiful face anymore,” Oikawa teases with a smug grin, noticing that Iwaizumi is not quite yet at full form. 

Refusing to say anything more, Iwaizumi simply responds, “...Shut up Shittykawa. I’m just getting warmed up. Let’s keep going.” Iwaizumi is beginning to notice that his thoughts have been overwhelmed by Oikawa’s presence more than usual today. His heartstrings tug at him as if waiting for something... or someone? Eager to brush away whatever is happening right now, Iwaizumi picks up another volleyball, but the cycle still repeats. 

_Toss_

The volleyball goes high up in the air, much higher than the balls Iwaizumi would toss Oikawa when they first started playing volleyball as kids. Days where the two of them would be awkward and stumble. Days where volleyball was just pure fun. These days have long since passed by, but remained eternal even now. 

_Set_

The always reliable on the court Oikawa once again easily sets the ball once again straight to Iwaizumi. But this is no feat to be surprised by. Iwaizumi was there after all. All throughout middle school and high school, Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa overworked himself to the bone as he focused on absolutely nothing but volleyball. Iwaizumi always wondered if his place in Oikawa’s heart would linger the way volleyball always had. 

_Spike_

Iwaizumi, unwilling to let Oikawa or these intruding thoughts show him up, hits the ball with perfect form and immense strength. The kind of spike he wished he should have made with his team at Nationals. The kind of spike that would have proved he was good enough to support his team. The kind of spike that proved he was good enough to support Oikawa.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa look at each other and yell in excitement, “ONE MORE!” Their hands ball into fists and pump up towards the gym ceiling. Oikawa’s face is holding a stupid looking grin while Iwaizumi’s smile is mixed with both excitement and nervousness. 

_Toss_

But of course, this didn’t continue for just one more time. They repeated this cycle continuously. Unbeknownst to Oikawa, however, the cycle of endlessly spiraling thoughts and memories also continued in Iwaizumi’s head as they played. Iwaizumi, trying to stop all the overwhelming emotions, put everything into the volleyball that connected them. 

_Set_

But with each passing memory, the strings of Iwaizumi’s heart continued to be painfully strung. Every happy memory, every stupid memory, every sad memory, every regretful memory... each and everyone plucked at Iwaizumi’s heart making it throb more and more. 

_Sp—_

“I LOVE YOU”

Iwaizumi’s heart finally bursts and the ball he should have spiked drops with an echoing thud. 

Oikawa looks at Iwaizumi stunned but he quickly puts himself back together and says cheerfully, “Awww, Iwa~chan~!! You know I love you too! To think you would actually admit it!” But Iwaizumi sees through this fake smile. Once again, Oikawa is playing games with him. Iwaizumi can’t take back what he said now and this might be his last chance to say something. 

“LISTEN to me dammit! I mean that I am seriously in love you!,” Iwaizumi desperately screams at Oikawa. The goofy smile that’s always on Oikawa’s face finally starts to drop and he finally pays attention. At this moment, the only thing reflected in his eyes is Iwaizumi. 

“I have probably loved you long before I even realized it,” Iwaizumi continues, “Oikawa, you have always been an integral part of my world. In all of my precious memories, you are right there in the center.” With every word that leaves from Iwaizumi’s mouth, his heart continues to pound faster and faster as if it was trying to escape from a cage. Iwaizumi is shaking but he takes a deep breath and starts again, “I love you more than even I know. And I want to be with you forever, Oikawa.”

Oikawa, who has been quietly listening, says nothing at first, but his face says everything. Every inch of his body, every inch of his face tells Iwaizumi everything that he needs to know. And his heart, too, drops with a thud. 

The pained look on Oikawa’s face. The shock and awkwardness of this body. Oikawa had never thought of Iwaizumi as someone he loved more than just a best friend.

“Iwa-chan... I’ve always trusted you more than anyone else,” Oikawa finally lets out. Iwaizumi braces himself but he’s not sure it will be enough because he already hears his heart cracking. “You’ll always be the partner I’ll be the proudest of setting for, “ Oikawa continues, “but I don’t know if I can be the kind of partner that you want.”

_crack_

“And... after today... won’t we be going out separate paths anyways?”

_Crack_

“Who knows, it might be a long time till I can see you again. And we have to focus on our own dreams.”

_CRACK_

But Iwaizumi doesn’t care at all. Those sorts of things never mattered to him. Only Oikawa. Tears are welling up in his eyes. Iwaizumi breaks his own silence and desperately screams, “EVEN SO, I LOVE YOU!”

“It’ll pass,” Oikawa says. 

_B R E A K_

Iwaizumi’s heart finally shatters. The tears that were pooled at his eyes finally streamed down his face. Iwaizumi wishes he could have prepared himself more, but he knows deep down that the result would have been the same. 

Oikawa's face becomes more pained as he finally breaks Iwaizumi’s tear-streaked gaze and looks away. Iwaizumi, however, never stops looking at Oikawa through the tears. This moment too, he wanted to etch into what remained of his heart forever. 

The two of them stand in silence until they feel a cold march breeze come in. Oikawa leans over to peer behind Iwaizumi’s back. He sees Matsukawa peeking in and briefly disappearing to yell behind him, “Oi, I finally found them! They really were in the gym!” Oikawa glances at Iwaizumi before patting his shoulder and running towards Matsukawa and the rest of the team. Iwaizumi takes this time to wipe away his tears so his former teammates won’t have to worry. 

When Iwaizumi turns around, the whole team is walking inside the gym. “Since we are all here why don’t we play one last game before us, third-years, have to leave?” Hanamaki suggests with a grin. While the whole team cheers their agreement, Oikawa glances over at Iwaizumi. But Iwaizumi is already ahead of them with a volleyball in hand. 

“Well then, why are all of you just standing there for?,” Iwaizumi says with a smirk that only Oikawa knows is forced. As the whole team readies themselves to play, instead of aggressively throwing the ball at Oikawa’s head like he usually does, Iwaizumi gently passes it into his open hands. 

This volleyball, these happy days, and these feelings, too, will pass.


	2. Oikawa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But I can't set for you anymore.

A few months have passed since the day Iwaizumi confessed his feelings to Oikawa. At that time, Oikawa immediately left for Argentina to play in the Argentinian leagues, while Iwaizumi left for California in September to start college at UC Irvine. Both following the people they looked up to for their life goals. Both leaving the comfort of the world they always knew. 

But even after such a messy confession, the two of them continued to frequently keep in touch with each other through LINE or video calls. It was as if nothing had ever happened between the two of them in the first place. Of course, something DID happen, and neither party ever dared to speak about it. 

“It’ll pass.”

At first, these words would echo in Oikawa’s mind every once in a while. “Was I too hard on him?,” he thought, “But Iwa-chan is strong! I’m sure he could handle it. We may have been together all our lives before, but we can’t even see each other now. And in the first place I’ve never even thought about Iwa-chan romantically! My priority is and always has been volleyball.” Each time the memory of that day and the words he said to Iwaizumi popped into Oikawa’s mind, he would always have the same conversation to himself to convince him that everything was fine. Because it was fine! The cute stickers that Oikawa sent Iwaizumi were always replied with annoyed emojis on LINE, as it always had been. The video chats they had every one or two weeks was always filled with stories and playful banter, as it always had been. Oikawa smiles his same goofy smile saying and Iwaizumi keeps his resting grumpy face, as it always had been. And since everything stayed the same, the words that Oikawa once said eventually faded away into a deep dark crevice of his mind and he continued to move forward in his life. 

_Everything was fine._

At first, when Oikawa was practicing with his new team, he would instinctively look for Iwaizumi to receive his set during a tough match, before very quickly realizing that there was no “Iwa-chan” to call out to. Oikawa just brushed it off, “I’ve played volleyball with Iwa-chan all my life,” he thought, “I’ve just gotten far too used to it, that’s all.” Iwaizumi wasn’t with him anymore so all he can do is get used to his new team. And so, he continued to redirect his focus to the volleyball game in front of him because

_Everything was fine._

When Oikawa and his team weren’t playing volleyball, he would come up with some kind of goofy joke or antic to lighten up the mood. While his team learned to laugh at the times Oikawa played around, in between the laughter, all he could hear was Iwaizumi’s voice screaming, “QUIT GOOFING OFF SHITTYKAWA!” It was a loud and aggressive voice, but the memory was oddly comforting. The group dynamics with his new team was, of course, going to be completely different than his team at Seijoh. There wouldn’t be anyone like Iwaizumi to yell at him when he did something dumb. But it’s not as if his new team isn’t fun to be around, it’s just different. And besides, he at least had these memories of Iwaizumi and everyone so

_Everything was fine._

As Oikawa became more and more closer with his new team, he became more comfortable telling them all stories about his past memories. “And then I set the ball from outside the court to the opposite side where Iwa-chan was waiting for me!,” said a proud Oikawa, telling the same story his teammates have heard a thousand times by now. 

One of them looks at Oikawa and gives a hearty laugh. “You know, Tooru? Whenever you talk about your past, the person you talk about the most, other than yourself, is this Iwa-chan,” he says with a big grin. 

Oikawa stares at his teammate with confusion. “Well, duh. He’s my best friend. Why wouldn’t I talk about him?,” Oikawa says. He senses that he is about to get teased for something, but he doesn’t quite understand why Iwaizumi would be part of the joke. 

Another teammate chimes in, “Are you sure that’s all he is? Everyone sees the face you make whenever you say his name. You look like a love struck puppy!” A symphony of laughter surrounds Oikawa, who is, now, a dumbstruck puppy. The rest of the team continues the conversation agreeing to recount all the times that Oikawa has talked about Iwaizumi. 

“You can especially tell he’s in love when he talks about other people along with Iwa-chan! The drastic change in his face! The light in his eyes!”

“Tooru is so passionate about volleyball, you’d think he wouldn’t have any more room for anything else. But then when we get together like this, with the same amount of passion as when he’s on the court he says—“

“IWA~CHAN~!!!!,” the whole team imitates Oikawa’s high pitched voice in perfect unison. Everyone is smiling and laughing. Everyone except Oikawa. 

“I— He-, WHA-?!,” Oikawa is stumbling over his words. Oikawa is stunned. He looks like a deer in headlights. He couldn’t be in love with Iwaizumi! They were just best friends and nothing more! They couldn’t be anything more! And then suddenly, one of Iwaizumi’s rare smiles appears in Oikawa’s memories and Oikawa can feel the heat rising in his face. 

“Hahaha, he can’t even talk now that we’ve called him out!”

“Aww, look he’s even blushing!”

Oikawa’s brain is spiraling. As the rest of his team jeers, all of Oikawa’s memories with Iwaizumi flash before his eyes. Every time Oikawa fell and cried as a child, he would reach out to his tiny hand only to find someone was already reaching towards him. Every time Oikawa wanted to play volleyball as a child, there was only one person who would be ready to play before he even asked. Every time Oikawa worked his body to his utmost limits, there was always only one person ready to beat his ass until he got rest. Every time Oikawa needed to rely on someone to receive his set, his eyes would always look for only one person. 

Iwaizumi. It was always Iwaizumi.

Oikawa quickly gets up from his seat and says, “Sorry to cut this little get-together so short, guys. But I just remembered that there is something I need to do right now!” As Oikawa quickly grabs his things and leaves the building, he hears a cacophony of laughter and people cheering, “Tell Iwa-chan we say hi!” 

Oikawa, now walking outside in the warm March air, realizes how much of an idiot he has been. He realizes why he was searching for pieces of Iwaizumi everywhere the whole time he was playing volleyball here. He realizes how important Iwaizumi was this whole time.

“I LOVE YOU” 

Iwaizumi’s confession now echoes throughout Oikawa’s whole body. Iwaizumi’s desperate pleas to be heard. The pained look on Iwaizumi’s face, as if his feelings were physically hurting him from the inside. The shaking in his voice. The trembling of his fingers. The tears in his eyes. 

All of this happened a year ago, but only now did Oikawa truly understand anything. Ah, what a fool Oikawa had been. Headstrong Oikawa, always so focused on volleyball and never on anything else. So focused on his own future, he never even gave Iwaizumi a chance, even when Iwaizumi laid out his heart to him. Too busy with volleyball, never once noticing that he might lose someone irreplaceable. 

In the heat of the moment, Oikawa quickly grabs his phone to video call Iwaizumi. Oikawa’s breathing is erratic, his palms are sweaty, and his heart is beating out of his chest. “Is this how Iwa-chan felt that day?,” he thought, “I’m so sorry I made you go through this.” And in three rings, Iwaizumi’s familiar face appears on Oikawa’s phone. 

“What’s up? You don’t usually call on this day,” Iwaizumi says. Oikawa would have immediately blurted out his newfound realization that he indeed loved Iwaizumi if it weren’t for the crowd of voices he heard in the background. They all seem to be talking to Iwaizumi, and before Oikawa even has a chance to say a single word, Iwaizumi’s attention is already averted away from Oikawa and towards the people talking to him. Iwaizumi says something to them in English that Oikawa doesn’t understand. But there’s a bright smile on Iwaizumi’s face that makes Oikawa’s heart drop with a thud and suddenly he remembers the words he long since locked away. 

“It’ll pass.”

Oikawa’s whole body stiffens. Whatever nerve he had before, melts away into the warm March air. Regret is filling every small crevice of his body. “Yahoo~! Iwa~chan~!,” Oikawa says, finally forcing words to escape from his mouth. Iwaizumi immediately snaps his attention back to Oikawa, who has quickly put on his usually goofy-looking grin. 

“Ah, sorry Oikawa. You called while I was working with my study group. Is something wrong?,” Iwaizumi asks. He stares at Oikawa with a straight face. Oikawa wonders what he would do if he told Iwaizumi that something was wrong. Would he leave his study group to console this miserable Oikawa? Would he prioritize him second and say that he would call back later? Or would he just tell him the same thing Oikawa said that day?

Oikawa decides that this was an answer he would rather not know. “Hahahah, sorry Iwa-chan! I meant to do something else, but I called you on accident!,” he says with a wink and his usual stupid grin. 

Iwaizumi looks at Oikawa with the same annoyed look he always gives him. “Okay well if there’s nothing, I’m going to hang up now I’m busy,” Iwaizumi says, “Bye.” After he utters that last word some of his study group force themselves into the frame to wave at Oikawa too. Oikawa’s smile twitches as he notices the attractiveness of the company Iwaizumi is having. 

Oikawa keeps it together long enough to also wave and say, “Bye-bye Iwa~chan~!” And with a click, the screen goes blank and Oikawa is left to stare at his pitiful reflection on his phone. Heat is rising up to his head. He almost throws his phone to the ground, but Oikawa has just barely enough self-control to stop himself. He kicks a rock on the sidewalk instead and starts walking home. 

Oikawa thinks of the smile Iwaizumi always wore as a child, the smile he wore whenever they played volleyball together, the smile the wore throughout their time together. But then Oikawa thinks of the smile Iwaizumi wore when he was talking to his study group instead of him and he feels the heat on his face. Oikawa thinks of how easily his attention strayed away from him. He thinks of the faces of the people he was with. Did he like anyone there? Was his smile for one of them in particular? Does one of them like him too? Would they take Iwa-chan away from him forever?

This thought left Oikawa’s blood to boil, but at least he had finally reached his apartment. He enters his home and goes straight to his room where he could be left alone with his thoughts in peace. While lying down on his bed, he picks up his nearby volleyball and starts setting it above him. This, unfortunately, does nothing to calm the storm of emotions inside of Oikawa. 

_Everything was not fine._

The emotions Oikawa felt right now... he knew it was jealousy. He was jealous of everyone who got to be with Iwaizumi. He was jealous of all the people Iwaizumi showed his smile to. He was jealous of the younger Oikawa, who never knew the happiness that he had always held in his hands. 

But, did Oikawa even deserve to be jealous in the first place? Did he have any right to be jealous when he was the one who never noticed how special Iwaizumi was in the first place? He didn’t even take the chance that Iwaizumi had given him last year. Iwaizumi’s crying face appears in Oikawa’s mind. It was Oikawa who hurt his precious Iwa-chan first. And that is something that can never be erased or forgiven. He didn’t deserve to be jealous when Iwaizumi was no longer his. He didn’t even deserve Iwaizumi himself. 

The volleyball Oikawa was setting falls flat on his face. It hurts, but not as much as the pain inside his heart. Oikawa takes the volleyball and hugs it to his chest. A single tear falls down his face. And then another. And then another. And it never stops. Oikawa rolls to his side and hugs the volleyball even tighter to his chest, letting the tears flow until there’s no more left. This was the first in a long time that he cried, and Iwa-chan’s hands were not there to wipe his tears. 

“Ahh... I love you Iwa-chan... but it’ll pass...”


	3. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When I see you again...

Oikawa wakes up the next morning still desperately clutching his volleyball, wishing that it was instead his precious Iwa-chan. But today is a new day, and he must find a way to get through it whether Iwaizumi was there or not. Today, tomorrow, and each day after that, Oikawa must live in a world that he regrets. And so, as he always planned, Oikawa uses his days to chase after volleyball harder than ever before in hopes that it can eventually fill in the hole in his life where Iwaizumi used to be. 

As the years pass, Oikawa and Iwaizumi keep their relationship in the same place it has always been. But as they grow up and become busier with their everyday lives, they no longer message each other as frequently as before. Their weekly video calls became monthly. Their banter was always the same but their worlds were connecting less and less. 

Oikawa never attempted to confess his feelings to Iwaizumi again, choosing instead to put the feelings he had for Iwaizumi into volleyball. His love for Iwaizumi and his regret for not realizing it sooner fueled him to become an even better volleyball player than he had ever hoped to be. After all, the reason he’s like this in the first place was because he chose volleyball over Iwaizumi that day. So he had to be the best setter to prove to himself that something was worth it. 

Iwaizumi, on the other hand, graduated from UC Irvine and interned with Takashi Utsui as he, too, intended. When it was over, he returned home to Japan in order to become an athletic trainer there. Long ago, Iwaizumi had once wished to use his skills to help the overworked Oikawa, but it had been years since he even stepped foot in Japan. 

Well, that WAS the case, until today. It’s now August 2021 and the 2020 Olympics are being held right in Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s home country, Japan. Iwaizumi had become an athletic trainer for Japan’s Olympic team, while Oikawa reached the top and joined Argentina’s Olympic team as their setter. They both had reached the stage they strove to stand on while they were apart. And now, for the first time in years, their fated reunion would finally arrive. 

Oikawa arrives in Tokyo and the first thing he thinks of is Iwaizumi. Even now, Oikawa carries his feelings and regret on his shoulders. While focusing on volleyball throughout the years helped keep him at bay, when he was alone with his thoughts, he was consumed by Iwaizumi. He looks at his surroundings, taking in the sight of the busy city. He’s only been to Tokyo a few times, but never once for nationals. Never once did he get to set for Iwaizumi here. Oikawa is lost in his thoughts when he hears a familiar cute little ringtone coming from his pocket. Since the times he gets to talk to Iwaizumi were precious and infrequent, he made sure to personalize it so that he would always know it was Iwaizumi. Oikawa cheerfully answers his phone, “Iwa~chan~! You called!” 

“Oikawa! Let me know when you arrive in Japan! It’s been so long, we can plan something when we are free,” Iwaizumi says, equally as cheerful. 

At hearing those words, Oikawa’s heart skips a beat. “Aww, Iwa~chan! It’s almost as if you knew I just arrived here! After all these years, our hearts must still be connected!,” Oikawa says jokingly but, in his heart, he wished that this was true.

“Even though you’re an Olympic athlete now, you are still goofing around aren’t you Shittykawa?”

“I may have evolved but somethings will never change!,” Oikawa says. But in his thoughts, he adds, “like the feelings that never passed.” Oikawa was about to say more but his teammates motioned for him that it’s time for them to get going.

“Ah, sorry Iwa-chan! I gotta get going! I’ll message you when I have some free time!”

“Aight, later!”

And with a click, the call ended and both parties went off to prepare for the Olympics. Oikawa found that he really didn’t have any spare time until after their game, but the same could be said for Iwaizumi. 

The days pass by and it’s finally the day before Argentina’s match with Japan. Oikawa went to go find a place to do his daily warm-ups since the spot he had been using was taken today. When he finally finds an empty room, he hears a familiar voice coming from the room next to him. 

It’s Iwa-chan. 

Oikawa hesitates for a second but ultimately decides to peek through the small window on the door to the room. Iwaizumi and the rest of the Japan team seemed to be taking a break from whatever they were doing. Oikawa notices the familiar faces of Kageyama, Hinata, and Ushiwaka. Hinata, the usual ball of energy, is giving lots of energetic praise to Iwaizumi and the rest of the team join in on the conversation. Oikawa doesn’t really pay any attention to what Hinata and the others are saying because all he can focus on is the unwavering bright smile that Iwaizumi was giving everyone. Oikawa clenched his fists looking at the beautiful sight. He missed that smile. He missed the days when he was the reason for that smile. Oikawa is stuck in his thoughts when he hears someone with a blond undercut say, “Hey IWA-CHAN, I think we have a visitor!” Oikawa flinches and quickly runs away, out of view, but not without seeing the blondie look him in the eyes, smirking. By the time Iwaizumi opened the door to see who it was, Oikawa was already nowhere to be seen. 

“...What... WHAT WAS THAT?!,” Oikawa thought, “Only I can call him Iwa-chan! And what was that look he gave me! He was aiming to pick a fight!” Suddenly Oikawa stops in his tracks. He needs to compose himself, jealousy isn’t a good look on Oikawa. But...what if he was Oikawa’s replacement? The thought made Oikawa sick to his stomach. The more he thought of a smiling Iwa-chan with someone else made his jealousy turn into rage. He wanted to be the one to make Iwaizumi smile again. He wanted to be the one calling him Iwa-chan. He wanted to be the one on Iwaizumi’s team. Oikawa was angry at Iwaizumi, at that person, at that team, but most of all, at himself. These feelings may have passed for Iwaizumi, but somehow never did for Oikawa. 

But Oikawa doesn’t have time for this right now. He is here for the Olympics first, and Iwaizumi, unfortunately, second. And so he must make these feelings pass temporarily the only way he knew how: Volleyball. He spends the rest of the day physically and mentally preparing for the war coming tomorrow, putting all feelings involving Iwaizumi into the volleyball in his hands. 

The next day, Argentina and Japan finally face each other for the war of a lifetime. Oikawa, along with the rest of the team he cultivated, finally looks at Iwaizumi and the Japan team in their eyes. 

“Heya, Iwa~chan~! Long time no see!,” Oikawa says with the same old goofy smile. 

“For me, yeah. I heard from a little birdie that a certain Shittykawa dropped by without saying hi,” Iwaizumi says with playful annoyance and a wide grin. 

“Hmmm? I have no idea what you are talking about!,” Oikawa says waving his hands in the air. For a second the events that transpired the day before flash in his head, but he can’t lose his strength just yet. “What I DO know is that my team will be taking the win today. I’ll make sure of it.” Oikawa’s face was now serious, ready to show Iwaizumi that everything he worked for was worth it in the end. 

“I’m not so sure about that,” Iwaizumi replies with a mischievous grin of his own. “I think I’ve trained a strong team worthy of going against you,” Iwaizumi says, crossing his arms. There’s a glitter in Iwaizumi’s eyes today that Oikawa can’t determine where it comes from. All he knows is that Iwa-chan is going to bring his utmost best to this best to this battle. Perhaps this will be his revenge for what Oikawa did to him all those years ago. But even if Oikawa deserved it, his pride will not let Iwaizumi win. 

“Is that so? Well, I’m excited to see it,” Oikawa replies, turning to leave to reunite with his team and start the match. Behind him, he can sense the stares of many familiar pairs of eyes and many new ones. He doesn’t turn around to see what kind of faces they are making. 

A whistle blows and the game begins. Right from the start, it’s obvious that Oikawa and Iwaizumi put all they could into themselves and their teams. Neither team was willing to let the other ever take the point, always keeping the ball in the air, That volleyball that held everyone’s strength and emotions was always getting passed back and forth. 

The game lasts for more than an hour. Both teams have already won two sets, and the last set has reached the 30’s in points for both teams. On the sidelines, Iwaizumi can be seen nervously watching his team, worried both about winning the game and whether his players will be alright. Every once in a while, Oikawa catches Iwaizumi’s eyes staring straight at him. When he catches these moments, Oikawa can see a mixture of many emotions on Iwaizumi’s face. There’s a sense of proudness and happiness in his smile, but there’s pain and anxiety in his eyes. However, there’s no time to wonder what Iwaizumi is thinking, there’s a game to focus on. 

The score is now 35-34, with Argentina in the lead. If Oikawa can give the perfect set for one of his teammates to spike, his team could win this. There was once a time when, at a crucial moment like this, Oikawa would immediately look for his Iwa-chan waiting and ready to receive his set. 

And today was no different. 

Even though Iwaizumi was not on the same side as Oikawa, even though Oikawa made the mistake of choosing volleyball over Iwaizumi, even though Iwaizumi may have long since let go of Oikawa’s hand... they were both here on this same stage. Every important thing that Oikawa has ever done has always been with Iwa-chan. Whether they were physically together or just a memory in Oikawa’s heart, Oikawa had carried Iwaizumi everywhere he went because everything he did meant nothing if it wasn’t for Iwaizumi. So this set, too, regardless of who he passes it to, will always be for Iwa-chan. 

Oikawa quickly looks around both sides of the court to decide who will set the ball too. At the very last second, before the ball reaches his fingers, he glances at Iwaizumi and smiles. Oikawa gives a perfect set to his teammate who, in turn, produces a perfect spike that the other team just barely misses. Argentina wins the match and Oikawa has finally beaten everyone he set out to beat. Oikawa and his team give the brightest of cheers. But it’s a bittersweet victory, even though Oikawa is truly happy for achieving his dream, he can’t help but feel just a little bit lonely. In the middle of his cheering, Oikawa looks over at Iwaizumi. He looks sad at first but when their eyes lock into each other, Iwaizumi’s face starts beaming bright and cheery at Oikawa. Their surroundings are too loud for Oikawa to hear, but he reads Iwaizumi mouthing, “You finally did it Oikawa!” This was the sight that made Oikawa start crying from both happiness and sadness. He turns back to his team before Iwaizumi can notice the tears but, unknown to Oikawa, Iwaizumi had already noticed, his smile returning back to a softer but sadder one. 

The two teams quickly shake hands and congratulate each other. At some point, Oikawa shakes hands with the blondie with an undercut who called Iwaizumi, Iwa-chan. He’s tempted for a very brief second to fight him right then and there, but decides against it...for now. When Oikawa shakes hands with Ushiwaka, Kageyama, and Hinata, he states, “How’s that for my worthless pride? I told you I’d be able to beat everyone in the end.” He’s grinning from ear to ear while the trio bombards him with declarations that they will be the stronger team next time. 

The two teams clear out from the court for the next set of matches to start. But there is no time for rest just yet as they are overrun by interviews, pictures, and autographs among other things. As the day goes on and they all finally are able to find some downtime to rest, Oikawa finds himself outside the stadium being lost in thought spinning a volleyball in his hand. He remembers Iwaizumi suggesting that two of them should plan something. He gets out his phone and his fingers hover over Iwaizumi’s number, but he takes a deep breath and presses the call button. To his surprise, not only does he hear the ringtone on his phone, but he hears it nearby. Oikawa turns to his right and finds Iwaizumi just now turning around the corner and towards him.  
“Hey,” Iwaizumi says into his phone but also staring straight at Oikawa. 

“Hey,” Oikawa replies looking dumbfounded. “How did you know I was here Iwa-chan?” As he says this the pair hang up their phones and walk closer to each other. 

“I just thought of places where you might have wandered off to so I went looking for you. I wanted to see you,” Iwaizumi says with a cheeky looking grin on his face. 

“Awwww, Iwa~chan~! My heart feels so full! Did you really miss me that much?,” Oikawa says jokingly, clutching his heart dramatically, both for the theatrical flair and to make sure it doesn’t jump out of his chest. 

“Of course, I missed you.”

The look on Iwaizumi’s face is deadly serious. The two of them go silent and all they can hear is the rustling of leaves in the warm summer night air. Oikawa is speechless; he just stares at Iwaizumi, unable to say anything. He didn’t expect such sudden sincerity, especially not from the person he wished to see most. Iwaizumi uses the silence to continue talking, ”Hey do you remember when I confessed to you after we graduated from Seijoh?”

Oikawa’s face goes pale. He’s afraid of where this conversation will go. Is Iwaizumi going to talk about how he’s moved on or how he hoped this was going to be revenge? Regardless of how scared he was though, he wanted to hear everything that Iwaizumi wanted to say. Only this time, he was going to listen loud and clear. “Yeah, I remember...,” Oikawa finally croaks out. 

“You know... I thought you were a REAL jerk the way you rejected me,” Iwaizumi confesses, smiling painfully at the ground. Oikawa’s heartstrings tug at him and he clutches the volleyball that is still in his hand. “But a part of me also believed that I was the dumbass for loving you when I knew your eyes were set only on volleyball,” Iwaizumi continues still looking down. 

Tears are beginning to well up in Oikawa’s eyes and he tries his best to stop them from forming. Suddenly Iwaizumi looks up and straight at Oikawa’s eyes, Iwaizumi, too, is beginning to cry. 

“But you know what Oikawa? Eventually, I realized at the end that didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that you loved volleyball more than me, because I loved the you who was so insatiable for volleyball. I loved spending every day with you whether we were playing volleyball or not. Every dumb moment with you made me so happy. The days with you were the happiest I had ever been,” Iwaizumi cries desperately, his face looking the same as when he first confessed to Oikawa. 

Oikawa is completely stunned. He starts to reach out his free hand and begins to mutter, “Iwa-c—“

“NO. Let me finish,” Iwaizumi interrupts, forcing Oikawa to freeze. “I was really lonely without you while I was in California. But since you were off following your own dream, I wanted to follow my dream too, so I could become a person that you could be proud to stand next to. When I finally became an athletic trainer for the Japan Olympic team, I was so happy. I was so happy that I could build and train a strong volleyball team that was worthy of facing you. And I think it did a pretty damn good job at making a team worthy of standing on the same stage as you even if we lost.”

Oikawa is listening to Iwaizumi seriously, but he is getting confused at where Iwaizumi is taking this conversation. Iwaizumi must have noticed the confusion on Oikawa’s face because he continues, “What I’m trying to say is... On the day you rejected me, I decided I wanted to be able to somehow stand on the same stage as you. And if...if I could beat you using my own strength then maybe... I could be worthy of being with you...,” Iwaizumi’s voice starts to become more quiet as more of his words escape from his mouth. Oikawa’s eyes widen and he steps a bit closer to Iwaizumi as he holds his breath. 

“We didn’t win today like I had planned... but... I still want to say this,” Iwaizumi says fidgeting, but not yet continuing his thought. 

“...Say what, Iwa-chan?,” Oikawa pries. 

Iwaizumi looks at Oikawa as if he’s been in unbearable pain for years. His hands are shaking and his eyes are wet but somehow he is still able to scream...

“I STILL LOVE YOU”

And at these words Oikawa knows exactly what to say next. 

“It’ll pass.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes widen and he looks like he’s ready to actually punch Oikawa when Oikawa continues. 

“Your feelings will pass straight to me. And I will pass them right back at you. Just like a game a volleyball if you send me love, I’ll receive it and send the same amount or more right back to you.”

Iwaizumi’s expression softens. His breath is noticeably shaken up as he listens to Oikawa speak.

“IWA-CHAN! I’m so sorry I let you down all those years ago! I’m so sorry I hurt you the way I did. You never deserved to feel like you were a second choice. I was an idiot for only ever focusing on volleyball, I never noticed that I had someone important to me by my side this whole time. But somewhere along the way, while I was apart from you, I realized that I could love volleyball because I also had you. I regretted ever letting you go but I carried you with me everywhere I went and every game I played. I could keep play and get better because I could remember everyday I spent with you! I was an absolute mess without you by my side. The memories of you smiling with me is what kept me strong and is what kept me to keep moving forward. I should have realized it a lot sooner, while you were still by my side everyday. Iwa-chan, you are truly my most precious treasure.”

Both Iwaizumi and Oikawa are doing their best not to cry but the puddles forming at the bottom of their eyes are just seconds from becoming rivers. 

“I’m so sorry I was a coward and I took so long,” Oikawa takes a heavy breath in and screams, “IWA-CHAN I LOVE YOU!!!”

Iwaizumi immediately closes the gap between them and kisses Oikawa as if to stop his words from escaping, as if to keep them all to himself. Oikawa kisses him back while wrapping his arms around Iwaizumi, making sure that he never lets go of him again. 

Time will eventually pass by from this point but now they finally found their home in each other. And this moment that will forever be etched into both of their memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! This chapter was, admittedly, very rushed because my time limit was running out. I apologize for the plot holes and all the times they are ooc. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed reading! Happy Birthday again Ari !!!!! I love you and I hope you especially enjoyed this to the most!


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